The Minister of Education, Dr. Morufu Alausa, has urged labour unions, particularly those in the educational sector, to prioritise the welfare and education of Nigerian students over strike actions.
Alausa made the call during the opening of the 359th Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of SSANU, held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The Minister noted that industrial action should not be the first resort when seeking governmental attention to the unions’ demands.
He acknowledged the frustrations experienced by the unions due to unfulfilled government agreements in the past but reassured that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is committed to fulfilling its promises and agreements.
He highlighted the President’s commitment to making difficult, long-term decisions for the nation’s improvement.
He said, “Honestly, I know that as associations—ASUU, NASU, and others—your morale has been affected because the government has entered into agreements with you, and most of the time, the government has not fulfilled its part of the agreement.
“But let me assure you, President Bola Tinubu is a democrat. He will work to meet the obligations and agreements he has made with you. During his campaign, he told Nigeria, ‘I will be honest with you, I will take the difficult decisions.’”
He added, “And I wish these difficult decisions had been taken 10, 20, or 30 years ago. If they had, we wouldn’t be in this situation today. But now, this president is taking action, and he will continue to meet his obligations and promises to Nigerians.”
“Let us look at his track record from when he was governor of Lagos State, and at what he has accomplished in the last 16–17 months. Please, let us give the government time and the benefit of the doubt,” he appealed.
